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Final week we “opened” our campground property to visitors utilizing Hipcamp—regardless that we haven’t constructed out RV pads but!
Since we’ve shared our campground dream, many individuals have emailed us to share that they’ve the same dream. And fairly just a few folks have stated “I’ve ## acres and would love to simply invite folks to camp on my property. How can I try this?”
I’ve at all times replied with the hyperlink to enroll in Hipcamp.
Hipcamp is a web site that permits personal landowners (or wannabe campground builders) to generate income by charging nightly charges for campers. When somebody’s planning their subsequent tenting journey and wish to keep on personal land (versus the foundations that include free public land), they’ll keep in your property. It’s kinda like Airbnb for tenting. Plus it’s approach much less concerned than a full-on campground or short-term rental as a result of nobody expects hook ups or dump stations or canine parks or playgrounds or paved roads.
(Which is nice as a result of we don’t have any of these issues.)
Persons are merely in search of an out of doors expertise. Plus they’re usually in search of tenting close to nationwide parks which could be onerous to return by! We’re solely about 20 minutes from Black Canyon of the Gunnison Nationwide Park right here in Colorado.
Since we aren’t a full-functioning RV park but, we determined Hipcamp was the proper place to record our property to open up boondocking for campers by the remainder of 2021.
We arrange our itemizing final Tuesday and shared the hyperlink with you all. Bookings began rolling in however we shortly seen one thing…
Solely about half of the bookings have been from folks on our e-mail record.
The remainder have been from campers looking the Hipcamp web site simply in search of a campsite out right here on the western slope of Colorado.
And we have been like…
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A bit bit shocked.
A bit bit nervous.
A bit bit like hey…this campground factor would possibly really work out. 🤯🥳
(Heath already requested me if we actually wanted to take the money and time to construct out RV pads as a result of establishing our Hipcamp itemizing was really easy. Sure, Heath. Sure we do.)
This previous week of bringing in our first visitors, getting paid (funds are direct deposited each Tuesday and we made precisely $22.50 for our first campers however IT FEELS GOOD), and determining the best way to run a boondocking campground taught us just a few issues.
1. Choosing the proper platform for constructing your online business issues.
Discover the platform that has the most effective performance to make your online business run seamlessly. It’s the identical purpose we give the recommendation to promote a e-book on Amazon versus in your web site. Hipcamp makes it ridiculously straightforward to arrange your profile and we have been up in working in a day.
2. Go the place clients are prepared to purchase.
Hipcamp has been round for lengthy sufficient to have an awesome status amongst campers and a rising buyer base. Heath and I each frightened that nobody apart from individuals who double faucet our Instagram images would ever select to camp with us. Strangers reserving our campsite is unbelievably encouraging and thrilling. They’re rising in recognition, making it a no brainer to record the place campers are actively in search of websites.
3. Automation makes the whole lot simpler.
We are able to settle for reservations, ship automated check-in messages, and tackle questions all from our telephones. Very helpful while you spend most of your day enjoying with a one-year-old.
4. Be okay with model 1.
Heath and I went forwards and backwards a LOT on if we needed to confide in campers in 2021.
It often went one thing like this:
“We aren’t prepared. What if somebody drives over the leach discipline and sinks and needs to be towed out? We haven’t even discovered the place to order commercial-size bathroom paper but! We haven’t furnished our 4,000 sq. ft schoolhouse but. We have to purchase a washer-dryer set earlier than anybody camps!!” 😬
“We now have a completely renovated schoolhouse that’s prepared to be used. We now have enormous shade bushes and a leveled, gravel space for RVs. No different boondocking websites have showers and fiber web and a kitchen so I don’t assume folks shall be mad about our lack of a washer. Persons are emailing us asking each week if they’ll boondock. Why not open up?” 🤷🏻♀️
After a stable month of forwards and backwards, we’re each feeling good about our choice—regardless that it means giving folks an up-close and private have a look at our messy model considered one of a campground.
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Additionally me: Why are there 4 completely different colours of gravel? It is a catastrophe!!!!! |
Sure, there may be some buyer assist and we put in coded locks so folks can entry our constructing and loos. However nobody has complained as soon as about our messy model one and we’re persevering with to see extra reservations (and extra money) are available in.
5. Most of all, it was a great reminder that taking motion is at all times scary and at all times value it—whether or not it’s beginning a brand new enterprise, shopping for an RV, promoting a home, or simply inviting somebody to camp underneath your bushes.
We nonetheless have a protracted option to go. Thanks for sharing this journey with us ❤️🏕
You may uncover and e-book websites in your subsequent tenting journey on Hipcamp 🙂
Be aware: We’re under no circumstances affiliated with Hipcamp, though I’m biased that the founder Alyssa Ravasio and I share the identical first title. It immediately made me like Hipcamp extra. Nevertheless it additionally a really nice option to generate income along with your property and based mostly on our expertise, we might extremely advocate it!